Tall man handcuffs Team Blue in TOTS' win

 

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

He stands six-foot-five. He's a "young-in" as far as the 60-and over Tucson Old Timers are concerned.

At 64, Reed Palmer is intimidating as he toes the rubber and unleashes his fastball toward the plate.

The TOTS hitters, ranging in age from 62 to 86, are normally shaking in their boots (sorry, their baseball shoes) as a high fastball blazes under their chin and pounds into the catcher's mitt, leaving that familiar sound only a baseball can make as it collides with leather.

The batters await the next pitch and are caught off guard as a nasty slow curve ball makes its way to the plate. A swing and a miss.

Well, it was more of the same today as Palmer hurled seven strong innings to lead Team White to a 9-5 win at Udall Park. Palmer (above photo) struck out three and walked one, out dueling Mike Dawson, 65, who pitched six tough innings, while striking out three and walking just one batter.

The TOTS' hitters are learning and some are getting their share of hits off the TOTS' giant. Today, the top seven batters in Team Blue's lineup hit safely with Joe Opocensky and John Mathews timing Palmer's offerings for three hits apiece, while Dawson managed a 2 for 4 day.

On the other hand, Team White collected 17 hits in the game as all nine batters in their lineup reached safely with Thunder Tim Tolson and Palmer leading the way with three hits apiece and four of the nine RBI. Doc Thompson, Ken Nebesny, Ron Ryan and Brad Vermeer collected two hits apiece. Pete Peters added a hit, as did Bobby Long and 78-year-old Miguel Urtaza (photo below) chipped in a hit with an RBI-single in the fifth inning.

As for all the TOTS' hitters, they are getting used to facing the "kitchen sink" as they step to the plate three days a week in a TOTS' game. Fastball. Slow balls. Knuckleballs. They try to be on their toes with every pitch, but once in a while, Palmer has them on their heels.

Still, it's the best game in town. Instead of a 60-and-over guy at home, sitting on the family sofa, they find themselves at the park in the middle of a baseball game trying to turn a 70-mile-an-hour fastball from Palmer into a hit.

You gotta love it. That's what the TOTS are all about.

Next game: Friday, at Udall, at 9 a.m.

TOTS combine for 36 hits in Team Blue's 10-6 win at Udall today

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Reed Palmer hit his 10th home run of the season and went 4 for 5 to lead hot-hitting Team Blue to a 10-6 win over Team White today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Both teams combined for 36 hits -- 21 by Team Blue and 15 by Team White.

Seven of Team Blue's batters hit safely in the game -- including a 4 for 5 day for Pete Peters, a 4 for 5 day for Tim Tolson and a 3 for 3 performance from Brad Vermeer. Doc Thompson added three hits to the hitting onslaught, Bill Mishler went 2 for 4 and Pigpen Price added a single to complete the 21-hit attack.

Team White had their own hitting stars as Ken Nebesny and Mike Steele led the way. Nebesny went 3 for 5 and Steele went 3 for 4. Joe Opocensky, Ron Ryan and Jesse Ochoa added two hits apiece for Team White, but Team Blue jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the second inning and never looked back.

Vermeer allowed five runs and picked up the pitching victory for Team Blue. Thompson pitched the final two innings for the save, allowing just one run and only two hits. Opocensky went the distance for Team White and was saddled with the loss.

There were six doubles in the game. Tolson had two for Team Blue, while Nebesny,  Opocensky, Ryan and John Mathews banged out doubles for Team White.

The TOTS will be back at it on Wednesday at Udall. Game time: 9 a.m.

Photo: Palmer, who hit his 10th home run in 2020.

Stofft's single to left lifts Team Blue to 5-4 TOTS' win

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Bobby Stofft's bases-loaded single to left field gave Team Blue a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning at Udall Park today and right-hander Mike Dawson mowed down Team White 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to earn the win in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game at Udall Park.

The 81-year-old Stofft, hitless in his first four at bats, made his fifth at bat count as he drilled a fastball from Bob Daliege over the head of Team's White's third baseman Doc Thompson for the go-ahead run. Dawson, who pitched seven solid innings, had one scare in the bottom of the seventh when Daliege drilled a shot to deep center field, but centerfielder Bobby Long made an over-the-shoulder catch and Team White went quietly the rest of the way.

Dawson and Daliege were locked in a pitching duel most of the way.  Team Blue led 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Team White tied the game on a RBI-single from Tim Tolson to make it 4-3 and the tying run scored later in the inning on a throwing error, which allowed Pigpen Price to reach first base on a fielder's choice play.

John Mathews went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBI for Team Blue, while teammate Pete Peters went 3 for 4, scored twice and drove in a run. Tolson ended up 3 for 4 on the day, while Price knocked in two of Team White's four runs.

The TOTS will take the weekend off and return to Udall on Monday. Game time: 9 a.m.

Photo: The slammin' Bobby Stofft

 

13 TOTS head for Phoenix in October to play in 33rd annual MSBL World Series

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Thirteen members of the 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers will participate in the 2020 Men's Senior Baseball League World Series in Phoenix, October 18 thru November 7. It's the 33rd running of the prestigious event, which includes teams from all over the country. All the games will be played at the major league spring training sites through out the city -- including games at the Salt River Complex at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies.

Due to the coronavirus, only 193 teams are currently signed up to play. A few more teams may be added by the end of September. Normally, over 330 teams and over 3,000 players find their way to the Phoenix area for the tournament every year -- including teams from St. Thomas and Australia.

Of the 13 members from the TOTS, two will be playing in their first MSBL World Series. Ken Nebesny will play for the Tucson Toros in the 65-and-over Cactus Division and Mike Steele will play for the San Antonio Texans in the 70-and-over Central Division.

Other players on the Tucson Toros include John Mathews, Mike Dawson, Tim Tolson, Joe Opocensky, Ernesto "Doc" Escala, Danny Boxberger and DeLon "Doc" Thompson. Other TOTS' players on the San Antonio Texans include Bob Daliege, Bill Mishler and Pete Peters. 

The 13th player from the TOTS will be Danny "Pigpen" Price, 75, who will be playing in his 13th year at the MSBL World Series. Price will play in the 73-and-over division for the Arizona Scorpions.

The opponents for the Toros, the Texans and the Arizona Scorpions, along with the playing sites at the MSBL World Series will be posted by this blog in the coming weeks. Bookemdanosports hopes to follow along and report the results and stats involving all 13 TOTS' players at the prestigious event.

The 70-and-over San Antonio Texans (Steele, Daliege, Mishler and Peters) will be first up with their games scheduled for the first week of action, October 18-24, along with the 70-and-over Tucson Toros (Thompson and Escala). The 65-and-over Tucson Toros and the Arizona Scorpions will play during Week 2, October 24-November 1.

The 33rd MSBL World Series just four weeks away! 

No lead is safe in a TOTS' game

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

No lead is ever safe in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

The perfect example: Today's game at Udall Park.

Team Blue put up a five-spot in the first inning and three more runs in the top of the third for an 8-0 lead. They added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh for good measure. 

But as Yogi (photo below) alway's warned us, "it ain't over till it's over."

Team White put together a four-run bottom of the third, a run in the sixth and five in the bottom of the seventh to tie game at 10-all. And that's the way it ended as the TOTS bylaws state no extra innings. So, another kiss-your-sister game.

Of course, Yogi and the Yankees, like all major league teams, continue on until there's a winner. But the TOTS range in age from 60 to 95 and the powers-to-be came up with the rule back in 1968 and the rule is still on the books. Some of the players like it, some would rather play on.

Today, five hits and two key errors by Team Blue turned into a five-run rally as Dave Byars singled to the gap in right-center to knock in the 10th and final run of the game for Team White.

Team White ended up with 14 hits on the day with Thunder Tim Tolson leading the way with three hits in four trips to the plate -- including two doubles and two RBI. Team Blue's Joe Opocensky and Mike Dawson collected three hits apiece for Team Blue.

The TOTS, with two kiss-your-sister games in the past seven days, try to get back to their winning ways on Wednesday at Udall. Game time 9 a.m.  

Plenty of errors to go around in TOTS' game

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers, despite playing fewer games in 2020 due to the coronavirus, have had their share of well-played and error-free matchups this summer.

Not today. There were plenty of errors to go around at Udall Park this morning as Team Blue held on for an 8-6 win over Team White. Bob Daliege walked six and struck out three, but allowed just seven hits in seven innings of work to pick up the pitching victory today, while the hard-throwing Reed Palmer walked one and struck out one, allowed 15 hits and was saddled with the loss.

Daliege benefited from a hand full of key plays by Team Blue's outfielders Dennis Crowley, Lloyd Barzell and Rob Morse. Palmer, the club's home run king, was held to an 0 for 4 day as Team White was held to a run in the second inning, two more in the fourth, two in the sixth and one run in the bottom of the seventh.

In the meantime, Crowley was a thorn in the side of Palmer all day. Crowley (above photo) went 4 for 4, scored twice and knocked in a run. Tim Tolson and John Mathews helped Team Blue's cause with three hits apiece.

Ron Ryan collected two of Team White's seven hits.

The TOTS will take the weekend off and return to Udall on Monday. Game time: 9 a.m.

Mathews, Byars lead TOTS' Blue to 7-3 win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

John Mathews went 3 for 4, scored twice and drove in a run, while teammate Dave Byars knocked in three runs to lead Team Blue to a 7-3 win over Team White today at Udall Park in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Team Blue scored three runs in the first inning off Team White's starter Joe Opocensky, added three more in the sixth and an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Mike Dawson went the distance for Team Blue and picked up the win, while Opocensky was saddled with the loss.

Reed Palmer led Team White with two hits, including his ninth home run of the season.

The TOTS close out the week with a game on Friday at Udall. The TOTS have moved their starting time back to 9 a.m.

Photos: John Mathews, Dave Byars and the TOTS home run king Reed Palmer.

Competitive TOTS game ends up in 7-7 tie

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

No winners or losers in this one.

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers played for seven innings at Udall Park this morning and failed to come up with a winner as Team Blue and Team White played to a 7-7 tie.

It was a kiss-your-sister encounter with 24 hits by the two teams -- 13 for Team White and 11 for Team Blue. Tim Tolson led Team Blue with a 3 for 4 day -- including two doubles and two RBI, while Ernesto Escala and Mike Dawson were the top hitters for Team White, Escala contributed three hits in four trips to the plate -- including a double and two RBI, while Dawson went 3 for 3, walked once, banged a double and knocked in two runs.

Down 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Team White loaded the bases with two outs and pulled even on a 2-run single up the middle by Pigpen Price. With runners at the corners, the hot-hitting Brack Whitaker stepped to the plate and drilled a grounder to third, but Team Blue's third-sacker John Mathews gloved the ball and stepped on third for the final out of the game.

Never a dull moment in a TOTS' game.

The TOTS return to a 9 a.m. start time and finish out the week with games on Wednesday and Friday at Udall.

It's a number's game

 

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Baseball is a number's game.

In the pros, everything is counted -- hits, home runs, batting averages...on-base percentages. You name it. Everything is added up in hopes of gaining an edge and putting a "W" in the win column.

The 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers follow along and try to the do same. Although, it's a bit harder for an old-time ballplayer between the age of 60 to 80 to get the calculations right. But they try.

Take for instance today's game at Udall Park -- a hard-fought, down-to-the-wire 3-2 win by Team Blue over Team White.

Team Blue's Bob Daliege and Team White's Reed Palmer were locked in a pitching duel for six innings. In the top of the seventh, with the score deadlocked at 2-2, Team Blue pushed across the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice play and Team White came to bat in the bottom of the seventh needing a run to tie or two runs for the win.

With two outs and runners on second and third, the organization's top contact hitter Mike Dawson made his way to the plate. Dawson, known for spraying hits to all the corners of Udall Park, needed to launch a single anywhere in the outfield to bring home the winning runs.

Daliege, a retired accountant who spent most of his life dealing with numbers, had no problem adding up his next move. Daliege walked Dawson, a .400 hitter, to get to the struggling 75-year-old Pigpen Price, who was mired in a 2 for 13 slump for September -- a hefty .153 clip for the month.

With the bases loaded, Price, as advertised, hit a two-hopper to Team Blue's second baseman Lloyd Barzell for the final out of the game.

"My struggles at the plate continue," said a disappointed Price, after the game.

By all calculations, there are plenty more TOTS' games to be played -- including a game on Friday at Udall. Plenty of time for Price to break out of a slump. As for today, Daliege, the accountant (pictured below), played the percentages and led his team to victory.

Adding up the hits in the game, Team Blue finished with 11 hits as Ken Nebesny, Tim Tolson, Joe Opocensky, Daliege and Barzell collected two hits apiece.  Team White ended up with 10 hits in the game with Mike Steele, Doc Thompson, Dave Byars and Bobby Stofft doing most of the damage with two hits apiece.

Stofft, 81, on the injured list since January, was happy with his performance today. "It was great to be back on the field and pick up a couple of hits," says Stofft (pictured below). As it turns out, it was Stofft's first hits in 2020. 

Way to go, Bobby! Now if we could just get Pigpen going.

 

Doublemania! Aces shutout Rattlers

 Tucson Aces

60-and-over baseball

The 60-and-over Tucson Aces jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and cruised to a 9-0 shutout over the Arizona Rattlers today at Udall Park. The first seven batters in the Aces' lineup hit safely in the bottom of the first inning --  including four doubles.

The Aces ended up with nine doubles in the game -- two by Tim Boyd and two by John Mathews. Ron Ryan, Steve Foster, Ken Nebesny, Randy Livingston and Reed Palmer also doubled. In the meantime Mike Dawson started and hurled four shutout innings and Livingston followed with three shutout innings of his own as the two pitchers allowed the Rattlers just six hits.

The Aces have won 15 of their last 16 games against the south-side teams (the Arizona Rattlers and the Old Pueblo Club).

Way to go, Aces!

Labor Day thriller at Udall goes to Team White, 3-1

 

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Labor Day Game

Team White edged Team Blue 3-1 in a Labor Day thriller at Udall Park today.

A couple of bad hop singles in the bottom of the first inning led to three runs for Team White and Doc Thompson pitched four strong innings to earn the win, while Ernesto Escala hurled two shutout innings in relief for the save. Reed Palmer, Brad Vermeer and Thompson knocked in a run apiece to complete the Team White scoring in the first.

As it turned out, it was just enough runs to get the job done.

Team Blue's Joe Opocensky shutdown Team White the rest of the way, but his team could muster just one run in the top of the third on an RBI-single from Mike Dawson.

Team Blue out hit Team White 8 to 7, but failed to score any runs after the third inning.

In the top of the sixth, Team Blue had a chance to tie the game after an infield hit from Tim Boyd and a single to left by John Mathews. With two outs, Escala pitched to Pigpen Price, who worked the count to 3-2. Escala fired a fastball right down the middle and Price grounded out to Palmer at short for the final out of the game.

"I was seeing the ball well, Price said. "But I just couldn't square up the ball."

Instead, it was an easy play for Palmer and Team White escaped with a hard-fought win.

Opocensky, Boyd and Mathews ended up with two hits apiece for Team Blue, while Escala went 2 for 3 for Team White.

The TOTS will finish out the week with games at Udall on Wednesday and Friday. Game time for Wednesday is at 8:45 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Friday. The Tucson Aces, the TOTS' farm team, which is comprised mostly of the "young studs" from the organization, will take on the Arizona Rattlers on Tuesday at Udall. Game time: 8:30.

As for the Labor Day game, it was a dandy. The TOTS and the Aces look for cooler weather the rest of the week with temperatures expected below triple digits for a few days. A welcome break from triple digits.

Today's Labor Day lineups: (Team Blue) Mike Steele, Ron Ryan, Joe Opocensky, Tim Boyd, John Mathews, Mike Dawson, Bill Mishler, Danny Price, Brack Whitaker and Joe Aparicio. (Team White)  Ken Nebesny, Ernie Escala, Tim Tolson, Reed Palmer, Doc Thompson, Brad Vermeer, Jesse Ochoa, Rob Morse, Bobby Long and Ron Carlson.    

Dawson logs back-to-back wins at Udall this week

 

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Mike Dawson won both of his starts on the mound this week, including a 6-4 win today at Udall Park as he led Team White to a hard-fought win over Team Blue in  60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Dawson, who picked up a 9-6 win on Wednesday. pitched another six strong innings today and bested Bob Daliege, who was making his first start on the mound in five weeks. Daliege struck out 3 and walked only one, but gave up a run in the first inning, two in the second and three in the third.

Team Blue scored two in the first inning and another two-spot in the top of the sixth. Team Blue collected 11 hits in the game, while Team White hit safely 12 times. Reed Palmer went 3 for 4, including two doubles for Team Blue, while Tim Tolson went 3 for 4 for Team White and scored twice.

Doc Thompson went 2 for 2 for Team Blue, walked twice and knocked two of their four runs.

The TOTS will take the weekend off, but will return to action on Labor Day -- the 7th of September. Game time: 8:30 a.m. 

Steele top TOTS' hitter in August

 

Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Mike Steele played in all eight games in August and banged out 19 hits in 32 trips to the plate to edge out all the TOTS' hitters for the month. Steele's .594 batting average was third on the club as Tim Tolson, who played in just seven games, went 18 for 24 for a hefty .750 batting average, while Ken Nebesny tied Tolson in hits and went 18 for 32 (.563).

John Mathews, who played in all eight games, went 14 for 26 (.538) and was the top RBI man with 10, while Joe Opocensky, who played in only six games, went 13 for 21, a .619 average.

The coronavirus and the hot summer has done a number on the TOTS. Normally, the TOTS would have posted 12 or 13 games during the month of August, but, with an active roster of 42 members, only 23 took the field this month. Of those 23, only eight played in every game. The eight "dependables" included Bill Mishler ( 9 for 21, a .429 average), Brack Whitaker (5 for 24, a .208 average), Pigpen Price (10 for 28, a .357 average), Doc Thompson (12 for 26, a .462 average), Mathews, Nebesny, Steele and Pete Peters (9 for 23, a .391 average).

Reed Palmer, who played in seven games in August, hit the only home run during the month. It was Palmer's eighth homer of the season. Palmer went 9 for 16 and  walked a club-leading eight times.

On the mound, it was Opocensky leading the way with a 3-1 record, while Dennis Crowley posted a 2-0 record in his two starts. Nine pitchers saw action on the mound during the month.

As for the TOTS, they have battled with the heat, a few rainouts and the coronavirus for most of the year. With 60 games in the books, the TOTS will battle on in hopes of completing the organization's 53rd season, which ends on December 31, 2020.

Go, TOTS!

Photo: Steele

August/2020 stats...

Whitaker, Dawson lead TOTS' Blue to 9-6 win

 Tucson Old Timers (TOTS)

60-and-over baseball

Brack Whitaker had his best hitting day as a member of the Tucson Old Timers at Udall Park today with a 4 for 4 performance and two RBI to lead Team Blue to a 9-6 win over Team White in a 60-and-over Tucson Old Timers game.

Team Blue banged out 22 hits as Ron Ryan, John Mathews and Pete Peters added three hits apiece, while Mike Dawson went 4 for 4 and pitched six strong innings to pick up the pitching victory.

Whitaker, who joined the TOTS in 2019, normally bats at the bottom of the lineup, but he may be "movin' on up"  after his performance today.

Joe Opocensky went the distance for Team White and was saddled with the loss. Opocensky doubled and knocked in a run. Tim Tolson added three hits for the losing team and knocked in two runs.

The TOTS, with their first game for the month of September in the books, close out the week on Friday at Udall. Game time: 8:30 a.m.

Photo: Whitaker